Cigarette vending machine



June 4, 1935. 3 w. JAY ET AL 2,003,489

' CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 932. 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

3? Q IQEJiMATTORNEY June 4, 1935. w, JAY 'Er AL 2,003,489

CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 1932 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 lllllmuum INVENTORS vB1 ATTORNEY June 4, 1935. w. JAY ET AL CIGARETTE VENDlNG MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS wezw Jay LaPengilly ATTORNEY June 4, 1935. w AY T AL 2,003,489-

CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fix) .1!

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[l Illlllllllll mVENTdRs waa Ja L.P ezt2gilly BY Q m g &- ATTOR NEY- Patented June 4, i935 CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Webb Jay, Miami Beach, Fla., and Lewis Pengilly, San Francisco, Calif.; said Pengilly assignor to said Jay Application February 8, 1932, Serial No. 591,478

12 Claims.

This invention relates to coin controlled cigarette vending machines, our principal object being to provide a machine of this character so constructed that upon depositing a coin and manipulating a plunger a cigarette will be automatically ignited and'subsequently delivered to the operator.

posited, or the current is shut 011; one in which each cigarette is ignited to the same extent regardless of how fast the machine may be operated; and one having automatically functioning meansto prevent the depositing of a coin in the event that the cigarette receptacle is empty.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal'of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several VIEWS Fig. 1 is a view of one side of the machine showing the interior of the coin box and with a'coin'as initially deposited.

Fig. 2 is a similar fragmentary view, with the coin box removed and with the movable parts in the same positions as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the opposite side of the machine with the movable parts in the-same positions as in Figs. 1 and 2.

closed.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side view, with the coin box removed and the parts in the same in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 Ba fragmentary of the machine with the tion as in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a transverse position as view of the opposite side parts in thelsame posi-.-

section of the machine with the parts in the positions as in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the cigarette supporting elements retracted to allow the ignited cigarette to drop and be delivered.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the machine with the coin box removed and with the parts in the positions as in Fig. 9. i Fig. 11 is a sectional pl an of the machine ason the line ll--ll of Fig. 5, showing a cigarette as being ignited.

Fig. 12 is a similar fragmentary view showing the action of the means to prevent the subsequent insertion of a coin in the coin passage.

Fig. 13 is a diagram ofthe electric circuits of the machine.

It is here to be noted that in all but Fig. 8 the exterior casing has been omitted. Also, in all figures but Fig. 13 the electrical connections 10 between the various switches etc. have been omitted.

Referring now more particularly to the charactors of reference on the drawings, the numeral I denotes a suitable rigid base on which 15 a pair of spaced and upstanding frame plates 2 and 3 are mounted. Fitting closely but movably between the plates is a vertical cigarette receptacle 4 adapted to receive cigarettes 5 horizontally and so that they extend lengthwise between the sides of the receptacle. The receptacle is pivoted near the top in connection with the plates by trunnions 6 while the bottom of the receptacle, which is open, lies adjacent a platform 'I-extending between and supported by the plates! and 3 and curved radially with the trunnions.

Near the front of the machine the platform has a slot 8 of suflicient width and length to freely receive a cigarette therethrough.

. The receptacle is disposed so that it normally hangs in a vertical position back of the slot, so that it must be swung forwardly if a cigarette is to be dispensed from the receptacle into the slot. To accomplish this the receptacle has a pin 9 near the bottom projecting through a slot I0 in the plate 3. This pin is engaged by a slotted arm ll secured at its lower end on a shaft l2 which is journaled in and projects through the plates 2 and 3 below the platform. Beyond theplate 2 the shaft is connected to a forwardly projecting lever l3 to which an upstanding hand plunger I4 is attached, said plunger being guided in a bracket I5 secured to the plate 2. A spring it applied to the shaft I! at a suitable point acts to hold the plunger raised and. the receptacle in its normal rearward position.

The cigarette when dropped through the slot 8 is temporarily supported so that its top-- is substantially on a'level with the platform by horizontally spaced fingers l1 slidably supported for backward and, forward movement under the platform. Said slot and the fingers may therefore be considered as forming a cigarette supporting cradle. At their rear ends the fingers are connected" to arms I. whichdepend from a 56 shaft I9 journaled in the plates 2 and 9. Normally the arms are disposed so that the fingers extend across the slot 8 .and the shaft I9 isrotated to withdraw the fingers from the slot by a means which will be hereinafter'described.

The cigarette when supported by the fingers is in horizontal alinement with an electric heating element of suitable character which is mounted in connection with and outwardly of the plate 3 a certain distance. The cigarette when dropped through the slot is of course inwardly of the plate 3 and we therefore provide a means to advance the cigarette lengthwise and through an opening 2| in the plate 3 so that one end of the cigarette is moved into close and igniting relationship to the heater. Such means comprises a. push arm 22 which projects through an opening 23 in the plate 2 from the outside of the same and whose free end alines with the adjacent end of a cigarette disposed on the cradle. At its opposite rear. end the arm is pivoted on a vertical shaft 24 on which is another forwardly extending arm 2.5 which projects through said opening 23 into the path of forward movement of the adjacent side of the receptacle. A spring 26 normally holds both arms advanced.

Provided with the arm 22 at its free end is a lip 21- This is adapted when the arm is fully retracted relative to the cigarette, to engage a catch 28 associated with an electro magnet 29 and adapted to be pulled away from the lip by the magnet. When the receptacle is advanced to drop a cigarette into the cradle therefore the arm 22 will be retracted so asnot to interfere with the dropping of the cigarette and will be again advanced by the spring 26 with the retraction of the receptacle, provided the magnet is energized, to push the cigarette along and into engagement with the heater, as shown in Fig. l I. If the magnet is not energized the cigarette will not be moved. The purpose of this will be seen later.

When the cigarette is released from the cradle by the retraction of the fingers [1 it is received onto a rearwardly and downwardly sloping runway 30. This is set on such a slope laterally that the cigarette as it rolls will be shifted lengthwise and inwardly and clear of the opening 2|, which extends in the form of a slot parallel to said runway. At its rear end the cigarette is discharged from said runway ontoa lower runway 31 which extends forwardly to a horizontal opening 32 provided in the casing 33 in which the entire structure is enclosed. Spaced cigarette supporting cradles 34 project outwardly from the casing opening to support the cigarette passing therethrough so that it may bereadily engaged and removed by the ringers. The front of the casing is preferably in the form' of a door hinged onto the base and arranged to be locked at the top to the back portion of the casing by suitable means as indicated.

While the receptacle may be moved to dispense a cigarette into the cradle at any time the cigarette will not be ignited nor will it be allowed to leave the cradle unless the heater element and the magnet are energized, and the fingers' l1 subsequently retracted. The necessary energizing and other operations are controlled by means of a coin as follows:

Mounted on'the base I in spaced relation to the plate I is an upstanding coin-box having a tortuous coin passage 36 to receive a coin, on

edge, and starting from an intake mouth 31 exposed through the exterior of the case, to a back and rearward and relatively low outlet 26. From the outlet the coin passes by means of a chute 39 into a coin tray 49 supported on the base between the plates 2 and 3. The tray is removed when necessary by opening the casing door. A coin 4| inserted in the mouth of the coin passage rolls downuntil it engages a depressable ejector arm 42. This arm has a bend intermediate. its ends, the upper portion which is initially engaged by the'coin being normally disposed at an upward angle of about 45, 'whilethe lower portion depends to a connection with the coin box by a suitable pivot 42. The upper wall of the peasage above the adjacent upper portion of the ejector is in the form of a stop as at 44 which normally prevents further movement of the coin when the ejector is'raised; as shown in Fig. 1. When the coin is in such position it is then directly below a pin 45 projecting from the adjacent end of the plunger actuating lever l3 through a slot 46 in the adjacent side of the coin box.

Upon depressing the plunger the pin 45 engages and depresses the coin and also the ejector arm whose movement is resisted by a spring 41. The

coin is thus shifted to a position where it will pass under the stop 44, as shown inFig. 4. The ejector then suddenly acts to both raise and impel the coin rearwardly, as shownin Fig. 5, sothat it will pass through the outlet. With such movement of the coin it is thrown against and raises a cam 49 mounted in the coin passage beyond /and substantially on a level with the bottom of the stop 44. The cam being fixed at its rear end on a turnable shaft 49 this shaft is turned with the raising of the cam.

.The shaft 49 projects .through the walls of the coin box nearest the plate 2 and has a mercury switch 59 mounted in connection therewith. This switch is arranged so that .when the cam is in its normal position the switch will be .open, as shown in Fig. 2; When however the shaft is turned by a coin in the manner above stated the switch is closed, as shown in Fig. 'I. The switch will remain of itself in either its open or closed positions by reason of the shifting of the weight of the mercury relative to the supporting shaft 49. v

The switch being in the circuit 5lof the heat- .ing element and magnet 29, the latter is both immediately energized and functions to release the push arm and allow thelatter to advance to pusha cigarette toward the heater as the plunger is released and the receptacle is retracted. The provision of this magnet prevents the constant movement and wear on the-push and control arms which would otherwise be had every heating element for a certain length of time.

. the cigarette automatically drops from the cradle onto the runway 36 and the current to the heater is shut off. This is accomplished in the following manner:

Pivoted on the plate 3 and extending through the plate 2 above the platform 1 is a lever 53 connected adjacent its free end to the vertically movable core of a solenoid 54. A link 55 depending from the lever is connected to an arm 56 projecting radially from the shaft I9. These parts are arranged so that when the solenoid is energized the lever will be raised and the shaft l9 will be turned to withdraw the supporting pins I! from under the ignited cigarette, as shown in Fig; 9.

An arm 51 rigid with the lever depends from the free end of the same and has a projecting element 58 on its lower end which engages under a lip 59 mounted in connection with and'above the support 60 on which the switch 50 is mounted. The element and lip are arranged relative to eachother and to the support and its pivotal shaft 49 so that when the lever is in its normal lowered position and the switch is closed, said lip will be lowered so as to be close to the element 58. as shown in Fig. 6. Then when the lever is raised the lip and the adjacent end of thelsupport will be raised also, tilting the switch 50 down to its original open position, as shown in Fig. 10. The support 60 at its end nearest the element 58-is then so spaced from the element that the latter' may belowered with the de-energizing of the solenoid and the lowering of the lever withou't pushing down on the support. or so that it. can

-reassume its initial position, as shown in Fig. 2

without again disturbing the switch.

Thesolenoid of course is not intended to function upon the initial closing of the heater ci rcuit, since the heater mustoperate for a certain length of time in order to heat up and prop erly ignite'the cigarette. Said solenoid is therefore connected to the circuit by means of a branch circuit 5 la in which is a normally opened switch Bl controlled by a thermostat 62. This may be exposed to the heat generated by the element 20 or may be actuated by a heating element of its own connected to the circuit 5| as indicated in Fig. 13. In either case the thermostat is initially adjusted so as to close the switch 6] only after heat has been generated by the heater 20 sumcient to properly ignite the cigarette.

If the device has not been used for some time and the heater is cold a longer time will of courseelapse before the solenoid switch is closed than if the device had just been used and the heater sertion of a coin, and possibly closing the switch 50 by tilting the machine forwardly, I provide another safety switch 63 in the circuit 5|. This switch is also of the mercury type and is normally closed when the switch 50 is open, being pivotally mounted in connection with the plate 3 for tilting movement in the same direction, to open said switch, as that required by the switch 50 to close the same. A forward tilting movement of the machinewhich would close the switch 50 would therefore open the switch 63. In addition to this an arm 64 depends from the shaft l2 (which is rotated by'the depression of the plunger) which arm engages the support on which the switch 63 is mounted and turns the same to a switch opening position with the depression of the plunger, as shown in Fig. '7. Even though a coin has been inserted and has closed the switch 50 therefore the heater circuit itself will not be closed until the plunger is released and allowed to reassume its normal position, which restores the switch 63 to its closed position, as shown in Fig. 3 and completes the closing of theheater circ'uit.' I v -'Another feature is incorporated in --the machine to prevent the depositing ofa. coinin the coin passage in the event that the cigarette receptacle is empty'or almost so: comprises .a follower 65 restingon top of the cigarettesin the receptacle and substantially fitting the latter so asto slide down as the cigarettes are withdrawn. Mounted in the followeris a spring .arm 66 projecting through a slot- This feature in the back of the follower and normally beartacle at that'level and engages and pushes on f the adjacent end of a horizontal lever 68 as shown in Figs. 9 and 12, This lever extends back of the supporting plates to 'a point a'djacent the coin box and is pivoted intermediate its ends in a. suitable manner. At its end adjacent the box the lever has an upstanding pin 69'whic'h engages the adjacent end of a spring pressed lever which extends along side the coin box to which it is pivoted intermediate its ends. At its forward end the lever 10 carries a pin H- projecting horizontally therefrom in the direction of the coin box so as to project into the coin passage 36 in the path of a coin adjacent the mouth, or so as to engage the coin before it has been completelyinserted into the month, These parts are arranged so thatwhen the lever is in its normal position and the follower arm is retracted, the' pin |lis clear of the coin passage; as shown in Fig. 11. .When however the lever 68 is engaged and swung by the arm 66 the lever 10 is tripped from the pin 69 allowing the latter to turn so that the pin II enters the coin box and projects across the coin passage to form astop and thus prevent more than a partial insertionof the coin.

From the foregoing descriptionit will be readilyseen that we have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still .in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by I the appended claims. I

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A coin controlled vending machine comprising a cigarette dispensing means, operating means therefor, -an igniter positioned to light a dispensed cigarette, a coin passage, means actuated in conjunction with the operation of the .dispensing means to advance a coin through the passage,

and means actuated by the coin to. set the igniter movable member projecting into the coin passage in the path of a. coin to be moved thereby as the coin moves through the passage, and yieldable the coin along the passage tending to prevent such movement, and means for forcing the coin along the passage against the resistance of the yieldable means; the latter being arranged relative to the switch closing member so that after the coin has been forced along the passage a certain distance, the yieldable means will' act to forcibly impel the coin against the member to move the same.

3. A cigarette vending machine including a cigarette receiving cradle, laterally movable ele ments forming the bottom of the cradle and movable clear of the same to permit a cigarette'to drop through, an igniter at one end of the cradle, means to place the igniter in operation, means controlled by the igniter to thus move the elements, anda delivery tray to receive the cigarette dropped from the cradle.

4. A cigarette vending machine including a cigarette receiving cradle, laterally movable elements forming the bottom of the cradle and movable clear of the same to permit a cigarette to drop through, an igniter at one end of the cradle, means to place the igniter in operation, electrically operated means to thus move the elements after the cigarette is ignited, and thermostatic means actuated with the operation of the igniter for controlling the functioning of said element moving means.

5. A cigarette dispensing and lighting device comprising a cigarette support, means to dispense a cigarette onto the support, an igniter for lighting a supported cigarette, means actuated in conjunction with the dispensing means to place the igniter in operation, means controlled by the igniter after a predetermined period of operation to discharge the cigarette from the support, and means directly controlled by the discharge means to halt the operation of the igniter.

6; A cigarette vending machine comprising a support for a cigarette, an electric igniter to light a supported cigarette, means to dispense a cigarette onto the support, a circuit for the igniter,-

a normally open switch in the circuit, another switch in the circuit, yieldable means-normally holding the latter switch closed, manually controlled means to close the first named switch, and means between the cigarette dispensing means and said other switch to open the latter during the operation of said dispensing means.

7. A cigarette vending machine comprising a support for a cigarette, an electric igniter to light a supported cigarette, means to dispense a cigarette onto the support, a circuit for the igniter, a normally open switch in the circuit, another switch in the circuit, yieldable means normally holding the latter switch closed, means to close the first named switch, means to actuate the dis-' pensing and switch closing means, and means actuated by and only during the operation of the dispensing means to open said other switch.

8. A cigarette vending machine comprising a support for a cigarette movable relative thereto to cause the cigarette to be discharged, an electric igniter to light a supported cigarette, a circuit for the igniter, a normally open rockable switch in the circuit, manually controlled means to rock said switch to a closed position, means to move said support to a discharging position, operating means for the same, means to actuate said operating means after the circuit has been closed for a predetermined time, and loose-play connections between said support moving means and the switch to rock the latter to an open position as said means approaches its limit of movement in a cigarette discharging direction.

9. A cigarette vending machine including a cigarette positioning cradle, an igniter at one end of the cradle, laterally movable fingers forming the bottom of the cradle and supporting a cigarette, said fingers projecting beyond one side of the cradle, guide means supporting the fingers adjacent the cradle, a turnable shaft extending transversely of and spaced from the plane of the fingers adjacent their outer end, arms secured on the shaft and pivotally connected to the fingers, means to rotate the shaft to draw the fingers from under a cigarette, said means including an electromagnet device, means to place the igniter in operation, and means for subsequently operating said device.

10. A cigarette vending machine comprising a support for a cigarette, an electric igniter to light a supported cigarette, a normally open circuit for the igniter, means to dispense a cigarette onto the support and including a shaft adapted to be oscillated through a certain arc to complete a dispensing operation, means to thus oscillate the shaft and at the same time close the circuit, a normally closed rockable switch in the circuit, a pivoted plate below'said shaft and on which said switch is fixed, means acting on said plate to tilt the same so that the switch is rocked to a closed position, and a finger fixed on and depending from the shaft in position to engage and depress the plate in opposition to the yieldable means so as to reverse the position of the switch during the major portion of the oscillatory movement of said shaft.

11. A cigarette vending machine comprising a support for a cigarette movable relative thereto to cause the cigarette to be discharged, an electric igniter to light a supported cigarette, a circuit for the igniter, a normally open rockable switch in the circuit, manually controlled means to rock said switch to a closed position, means to move said support to a discharging position, operating means for the same including an upwardly movable member, means after the circuit has been closed for a predetermined time, a pin parallel to the axis of rocking-of the switch disposed beyond one end of the same and supported from said upwardly movable member for movement therewith from a normal position, and a yoke rigid with the switch and extending about the pin; the latter being engaged on top by the yoke when the switch is in a closed position.

12. A coin controlled vending machine comprising a cigarette dispensing means, operating means therefor, an electric igniter positioned to light a dispensed cigarette, a circuit for the igniter, a normally open rockable switch in the circuit, a shaft on which the switch is mounted for rocking movement, a coin passage member into which the shaft projects, means to advance a cointhrough the passage and a cam on the shaft within the member and projecting into the path of a coin moving along the passage tobe engaged and moved by such coin so as to turn the shaft and rock the switch to a closed position.

WEBB JAY LEWIS PENGILLY. 

